1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a side panel for a bus, and particularly to a side panel assembly for a bus including a frame and a seat rail, the side panel assembly for a bus being featured to share the functions of a side frame installed in a lateral direction and a seat rail which is configured to engage seats.
2. Description of Related Art
A panel defining an outer configuration of a bus is mounted at the outer sides of a plurality of frames installed for the purpose of maintaining the strength of its inner construction, and a mounting bracket configured to mount a seat is engaged to the frames.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken along line I-I of FIG. 1. As shown therein, a plurality of frames, which act as a supporting structure at a side surface of a bus, are longitudinally installed, and a panel is installed at the outer side of the frames. In order for the frames to be installed in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle and to act like a frame, a waist rail 111, a skid rail 112, a skirt rail 113 and a reinforcing pipe 114 are prepared and installed, and upper and lower panels 121 and 122 are installed at the outer sides of the waist rail 111, the skid rail 112, the skirt rail 113 and the reinforcing pipe 114. Here, the upper and lower panels 121 and 122 are divided and installed at an upper panel 121 and a lower panel 122, respectively.
The conventional side panel for a bus however has a problem that since the frame maintaining a side structure of a bus and brackets 131 and 131′ configured to engage the seat are separately installed, the number of parts increases, and since they should be welded to connect them together, the number of necessary work processes increases.
As shown in FIG. 3, the upper panel 121 and the lower panel 122 are welded at the skid rail 112. Since it is hard to weld in a state that the upper panel 121, the lower panel 122 and the skid rail 112 are stacked in a three-tier structure, both the lower side of the upper panel 121 and the upper side of the lower panel 122 are inevitably welded to the skid rail 112. Here the upper side of the lower panel 122 can be welded at the skid rail 112 with the aid of a fixing flap 122a. A mold (not shown) is additionally needed and formed for a watertight sealing at a portion where the lower side of the upper panel 121 and the upper side of the lower panel 122 are welded.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, since the seat mounting brackets 131 and 131′ are positioned in a previously set place, the arrangements and intervals of them cannot be changed in desired forms. The intervals of seats cannot be decreased or increased so as to increase or decrease the number of seats, and the seats are inevitably installed at only the set places where the seat mounting brackets 131 and 131′ are installed. Since the number and arrangements of seats cannot be adjusted owing to the above mentioned problems, it is almost impossible to adjust the number, intervals, etc. of seats depending on customer's needs.
Some of seats might be removed from installation when it is needed to make a space for a wheelchair. Since the positions of them are fixed in the above mentioned situation, a customer himself cannot make a space for installing as many wheelchairs as the customer wants at desired installation places.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.